Tasks to text “history”

1. Find the English equivalents to the following Russian ones.

1. сооружение крепости

2. воинственные кочевые племена

3. пушки

4. чеканить монеты

5. отливать колокола

6. посланец

7. крепостной

8. сереброплавильный завод

9. плавильные печи

10. сохранить следы феодальной системы

2. Complete the sentence using the word from task 1.

1. The Hsiung-nu were ______people who lived in steppes of Transbaikalia and Central Mongolia in first thousand years B.C.

2. The successful fulfillment of our project, directed toward reducing emissions from electric steel__________, has become possible.

3. King Hakon Magnusson ______ in 1299 in order to protect the city of Oslo from potential enemy attacks.

4. In 1918 – 1920 Ukraine became independent and managed to make a few issues of its own paper money, but didn't manage to _________.

5. In 1861 all _______ were freed in a major agrarian reform, stimulated by the fear voiced by Tsar Alexander II .

6. He crafted moulds by hand and then led a team of sixty-five workers to ____ the giant _____.

7. The Indonesian government will send top ________ to a number of industrialized countries to discuss the climate change conference to be held in Bali.

8. A ________ was erected in 1890 but operated with indifferent success.

3. Answer the following questions.

1. What stimulated the development of the Upper Ob regions in the second half of the 19^th century?

2. What made Russia employ its own resources?

3. What factors led to the construction of the first metallurgical plant?

4. Why is the history of Altai connected with the name of Demidov?

5. What made Barnaul one of the largest mining towns in Siberia?

6. Why were most of the factories closed at the end of the 19^th century?

4.Read the article and be ready to discuss the following.

• How does the archeological finding expand our knowledge about Altai history?

• Do you believe that some places have their sacral and mystical character?

• Do you think that mummies are not to be disturbed?

• What do you think would be the best way out of the situation with the Princess?

About five thousand residents of Altai Republic demand the return of the so-called "princess of Ukok" mummy which is now kept in Novosibirsk back to the republic. Written appeal with such request was sent by the residents addressing head of the republic Mikhail Lapshin, chairman of the State Assembly Igor Yaimov and deputy of the State Duma Sergey Pekpeyev.

4654 personal signatures are affixed to the appeal. The document says:

"We address you with the request for prompt settling of the issue of returning the well-known "princess of Ukok" mummy to the National museum of Altai Republic. The given issue was discussed in mass media, negotiations with lead staff of the Archeology and Ethnography Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, Siberian Branch were underway. We hoped and believed that construction of special premises for keeping and exhibiting the mummy would begin this year, and in the year of celebrating the 250^th anniversary of the Altai people voluntary affiliation with the Russian State (this date will be commemorated in 2006 – NA REGNUM) returning of the Altai national relic would become one of the main events".

As authors of the appeal inform, many inhabitants of Altai complain of disrespect to their religious views, according to which mountainous Ukok plateau always had its sacral and mystical character. "Princess of Ukok is not only a religious and spiritual, but also a cultural and historical heritage of all Mountainous Altai people". Many spiritual leaders of Altai, the request says, connect deseases and natural disasters in the republic to this particular excavation and taking "the princess of Ukok" out of Altai.

The mummy was discovered by an archaeological expedition of Novosibirsk scientists headed by doctor of historical sciences Natalia Polosmak in the early 90^th years. Excavations were carried out at Ak-Alakha tract on the Ukok plateau located in the south of the Mountainous Altai. The plateau borders on Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. Later academician Vyacheslav Molodin discovered one more mummy at this same place, a male warrior. As scientists claim, the mummies were contained in Scythian burial places made in 4−5^th centuries B.C. At that time it was a so-called period of "Pazyryk culture" in Altai.

The mummies remained preserved due to the permafrost. Scientists insist on continuation of the excavations as interdisciplinary researches indicate possible warming of the climate as a result of which thawing of ice lenses will occur. At present there is even data showing in which exactly barrows on Ukok plateau ice is still existent.

However, the indigenous population of Altai extremely negatively regarded the fact that scientists managed to find the mummies. Amid the Altai intellectuals, they started to assert that Ukok plateau had always been considered a sacred place for altaians and they knew about the burial place for the woman since in the unearthed barrow "princess Kadyn" had lied whom shamans had been worshipping for millennia.

Today, a powerful movement has emerged in Altai aimed at claiming the mummy back to its "native land". Among supporters of this idea, however, there are two directions. One suggests simple returning it to Altai and exposing the mummy in Mountainous Altai Museum. Others demand to re-bury "princess". For the last ten years supporters of the mummy's returning were constantly sending appeals to authorities with requests for solving the problem. Still the latest actual form of address has beaten all records by amount of people who had signed it.

Novosibirsk archeologists repeatedly declared that they are not against transferring of the mummy to Gorno-Altaisk. Special expensive equipment is necessary to preserve it though, which the Altai museum doesn't possess.

After an earthquake in September of 2003 in Altai, epicenter of which was around 100–150 kilometers from Ukok plateau, local residents began to claim that this act of nature was the result of disturbing the burial place of "princess Kadyn" who now revenges on people.